Math-iello car tax relief

I applauded the Rhode Island Legislature for finally doing something about the unfair and regressive automobile tax. The taxpayers can now expect to get their own money back.

I haven’t followed the legislation very closely but I do know 100 percent of the automobile tax will be eliminated over a six-year period. If my calculations are correct 100 percent divided by six years should equal a 16 percent reduction of the motor vehicle tax each year.

I just received my motor vehicle tax bill from the City of Cranston. My total bill for two motor vehicles is $1,716.00 for the year. My bill was then reduced $84.00 because of motor vehicle tax elimination legislation. If my calculations are correction $84.00 equates to a 4.75 percent reduction for the year. This is a far cry from the 16 percent most taxpayers expected.

I guess we all now are using the new Math-iello. No wonder our children score so poorly on standardized tests.

Stephen Quartino

Cranston

Editor’s note: Under the car tax relief legislation, the first phase of the plan removes all motor vehicles 15 years old and older from the tax rolls and reduces valuations of all other vehicles by 5 percent.

Comments

You are an example of someone who doesn't understand the car tax formula, never attended a car tax reform bill hearing, and never read Mattiello's BS bill. Had you done any of the aforementioned, you would not have been surprised as to what little tax savings this bill has. Cranston residents will see a $4.21 savings per thousand of evaluation. So clearly you have 2 vehicles valued at about $10,000 after the exemption. Gee, how would I know that? I can read.

With 5 minutes of research you could extrapolate to the penny, the exact savings you could expect. However, since you are completely uninformed, let me educate you on a few points. As Rep. Shekarchi has stated, there is no money to continue this bill after the second year. The bill was written under the same formula as what was written and failed in 1997. The phase out will not work and the GA will re-institute the tax and withdraw the phase out after the second year. Did you really believe that this crumb Mattiello would actually produce a bill that would work? Check the drinking water in Cranston. Even if we were to fantasize that this bill was to work, that would mean in 2023 we would be right back to where we were in 2007. 16 years to go backwards. You think this is good? Maybe you should actually read the bills that are presented so you can understand them.